1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf ball position marker having a relatively thin, generally circular body that is at least partially transparent to permit viewing 1) of a body-defined, disc-shaped, oil-filled chamber, 2) of body-carried indicia located adjacent the chamber, and 3) of a Steel ball that is movably housed within the chamber and that cooperates with the indicia to provide an indication of the slope and break of a portion of a golf green on which the marker is placed. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball position marker having a disc shaped body into which are incorporated a modified form of "bull's-eye level" together with a novel arrangement of useful indicia that cooperate 1) to indicate that a portion of a golf green on which the marker is positioned is "level" if the ball remains centered within the chamber, 2) to indicate the direction of slope of an inclined green by the direction in which gravity causes the ball to move from the center of the chamber when the marker is placed on an inclined green, and 3 ) to indicate the steepness of slope of an inclined green by the speed with which the ball moves from the center to one side of the chamber when the marker is placed on an inclined green, with relatively slow ball movement being indicative of a gentle slope, and with relatively fast ball movement being indicative of a relatively steep slope.
2. Prior Art
Removal of a golf ball from the surface of a golf green is permitted by the rules of the game of golf so that the ball can be cleaned, and to ensure that a golf ball of one player does not obstruct the putt of another player. However, the position of a ball that is lifted from the surface of a green must be marked to ensure that, when the ball is replaced, it will be returned to the same spot from which it was lifted.
Rules governing the use of a ball position marker call for it normally to be placed immediately behind the position of a lifted ball. However, if the normal positioning of a ball marker should interfere with the play, stance or stroke of another golfer, the rules call for the marker to be placed one or more putter head lengths to one side.
To accommodate the marking of the position of golf balls, it is common for golfers to carry on their person or in a compartment of their golf bags, one or more ball position markers. The most accepted configuration for a golf ball position marker is a thin, circular, disc shape--much like that of a coin. Indeed, some golfers prefer to use a coin as a ball position marker.
A need that has not been addressed by prior golf ball position marker proposals is that of incorporating into a golf ball position marker, without unduly increasing the size, weight and expense of the marker, a suitable mechanism together with a suitable arrangement of indicia for providing meaningful assistance to a golfer in evaluating the slope and break of a portion of a green on which a marker is placed.
While a variety of golf related devices other than golf ball position markers have been proposed that incorporate some form of device for indicating the slope of a golf green, no proposal has been forthcoming, until now, for an indicator that will function in a variety of modes to provide helpful slope and break data, and that is sufficiently simple, compact, and inexpensive design to permit its being incorporated in a practical way into a golf ball position marker.